1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for controlling fares. It more particularly relates to a system for controlling the validation of fare cards in a transit system wherein bank cards can be used as fare cards.
2. Background and Relevant Information
Public transit systems offering the possibility of using a bank card or equivalent as a fare card provide users with great flexibility, the latter not having to preoccupy themselves with a specific fare card. The development of contactless bank cards contributes to increasing the interest for this validation mode.
From the user's standpoint, the bank card is used as a conventional fare card, which means that it must be presented to a validation terminal to access the transit system, for example, when getting into a bus or a streetcar, or entering a subway station.
In the case of a bus or streetcar, the validation terminal is generally located inside the vehicle and disconnected from the control system of the transit system. The user's bank card number is stored in memory of the validation terminal. Periodically, for example at the end of the day every day, the memorized numbers are transferred to the control system of the transit system, for example by means of a dedicated reader which is connected to the validation terminal. The control system of the transit system can thus debit the bank cards, or, for subscribers, verify that the amount of the subscription has been paid for the current period.
In the case of a subway system, the validation terminal is generally located at the entrance of the subway station. It is continuously connected to the servers of the transit system. The users' bank card numbers can thus be processed without delay.
Contrary to conventional fare cards, bank cards do not generally comprise a storing zone onto which the validation terminal can write validation information. The issue of controlling users during their travels thus arises. Indeed, a conductor must be able, at any given time, to verify that a user present in the transit system has validated his fare card (in this case, has presented his bank card to a validation terminal), and possibly the time and location of the validation.
Validation control systems wherein the conductor is equipped with a portable terminal capable of temporarily storing a list of numbers of validated bank cards have been proposed. When the validation terminal is located inside a vehicle (bus, streetcar), the conductor starts the validation process in the vehicle by downloading, from the validation terminal to his portable terminal, the list of card numbers which have been validated. Downloading the list can be carried out by means of contactless communication or by a wired connection, for example of the USB type. Once the list has been downloaded, the conductor walks around the vehicle and requests to be shown the users' fare cards. When a passenger shows a bank card, the control terminal reads the fare card number, compares it to the downloaded list, and indicates whether the validation has indeed been carried out, and possibly the time it was carried out. When the validation terminals are located outside the vehicle and connected to the computer system of the transit system (subway), the conductor, before a control operation, downloads the list of numbers of validated cards directly from the computers of the transit system. When a passenger is being controlled, the control terminal can possibly display the location where the validation was carried out.
A drawback of such a control system resides in the fact that, for security reasons, all the apparatuses intended to store, even temporarily, a list of bank card numbers, must be secured and certified by banks. Securing validation terminals does not pose any particular problem. Indeed, because of their nature and location in high-traffic areas, the risk for these items of equipment to be disassembled and examined by pirates looking to obtain confidential information is very low. In addition, validation terminals can be easily protected by mechanical means of the armored type. Conversely, securing the portable terminals with which the conductors are equipped is significantly more difficult. Indeed, these apparatuses, small in size, can easily be stolen or misappropriated by ill-intentioned individuals who will then be able to extract confidential information therefrom at their leisure. Complex security mechanisms (mechanical, electronic, software, etc.) must then be provided. This leads to a significant increase in the cost of these apparatuses.